John g



(No Model.)

J. G. PUGSLEY.

ANKLE SUPPORTER. A No. 346,606. Patented Aug. 3, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. PUGSLEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEWV YORK.

ANKLE-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,606, dated August3, 1886.

Application filed April 11, 1886. Serial No. 199,179. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN G. PUGSLEY, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inAnkle Supporters; and the following is declared to be a description ofthe same.

In Letters Patent No. 212, 261 and No. 216,106, granted to me, ananklesupporter is shown and described in which the stiff material-snchas leather or feltcomes up at each side of the ankle, the back portionbeing open at the upper part, and the heel portion closed by the' liningthat is placed within the leather case. Heretofore it has been difficultto construct these ankle-supporters with the leather of varyingthicknesses, so that the proper bearing will be taken against the sidesof the ankle and foot to give support in the places where needed, theleather in other places being flexible enough not to hurt the foot.

My present invention relates to an anklesupporter, the outside leatherof which is in one piece, without any opening at the heel, the saidleather being cut to shape, and the inner surface skived off in such amanner that the thickest portions are left at the sides of the ankles,and the remaining portions beveledoff sufficientlythin to be flexibleand not to hurt the foot or ankle. c

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the form or blank ofleather. Fig. 2 is a section at w a; of Fig. 1, showing the same beveledand reduced in thickness at the proper places; and Fig. 3 isaperspective view of the ankle-supporter.

The supporter is preferably made of leather; but felt, cloth, or othersuitable material may be employed, and the material,after being cutoutand skived down ,as hereinafter explained, is molded upon a form andshaped according to well-known sizes, and the material is stiffened withglue, varnish, or equivalent material. The leather is cut" to the propershape, as shown in Fig. 1, and the portions a are preferably left of thefull thickness of the leather used, and the other portions are skiveddown. The edges and other portions marked b are the thinnest, and theportions marked a are of an intermediate thickness. The thick portions acome at each side next the ankles.

The portions 0 below them, and the portion 0 between the portions a,give sufficient stiffness and support to the portions a, while thecentral portions 1) and outside edges 1) give flexibility where it isnecessary, simply to cover and bear lightly upon the foot. I prefer toskive this leather at one operation by passing the leather and a patternthat is placed against the face side of the leather between a pair ofrollers, and against a cutting-knife, the said knife removing from theinner side of the leather a piece corresponding with the pattern, sothat theleather is reduced in thickness at the proper places. Thismanner of skiving the form is much preferable to handwork.

I prefer to line the supporter with kid, flannel, or similar material,and this lining, together with a portion of the lower edge of theskiver, which is turned under in the molding operation, constitutes thebase d of the supporter, and it is not necessary in this supporter toeither cut away the heel portion or to employ so many pieces of materialas in my former supporters.

This ankle-supporter, as in my former patent, is adapted to be worn inthe ordinary shoe of the person using the same.

I claim as my invention- 1. An ankle supporter of rigid material havingthe portions to of full thickness next the ankles, the portions 0beveled to an intermediate thickness, and the portions 1) thinner andmore flexible, the same being formed of a single piece of leather,molded to shape, stiffened, and having a lining, substantially as setforth.

2. An ankle supporter of rigid material having the portions a of fullthickness next the ankles, the portions 0 beveled to an intermediatethickness, and portions 2) thinner and more flexible, the same beingformed of asingle piece of leather, and molded to shape, substantiallyas set forth.

Signed by me this 14th day of April, A. D. 1886.

JOHN G. PUGSLEY.

\Vitnesses:

Gno. T. PINOKNEY, HAROLD SERRELL.

